The Essential QP Study Guide

If after reading my previous posts you are still interested in QP training then the following document is well worth a read.  This contains all the information you will need to get you started.

The QP Study Guide


The study guide is published by the three joint professional bodies; The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, The Royal Chemistry Society & the Society of Biology.  The guide provides an overview of the Qualified Person within the pharmaceutical industry, summarises the practical experience requirements & roles of a QP.  The majority of the study guide contains all the topics required for QP application - aka the syllabus.

There are 3 foundation knowledge sections and 8 additional knowledge sections covering all aspects that a QP is expected to know for the viva.  You are expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the 3 foundation sections and an understanding of the additional knowledge sections.  The slight change in terminology reflects the wide range of roles/companies that trainee QPs are based.

The 3 foundation sections:

1. Law & Admin
2. Role of the QP
3. Quality Management Systems (QMS)

The 8 additional knowledge sections:

     4.  Maths & Stats
     5.  Medicinal Chemistry & Therapeutics
     6.  Pharmaceutical Formulation & Processing
     7.  Pharmaceutical Microbiology
     8.  Analysis & Testing
     9.  Pharmaceutical Packaging
    10.  Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
    11.  Investigational Medicinal Products

On the face of it this looks relatively straightforward but once you delve into the study guide and look closely at each section there are comprehensive lists of topics to cover.  It is a common mistake to concentrate solely on the bullet points - you must also read the introductory paragraph for each subject as this provides a good overview of what the QP assessors are expecting from you. 

The Study guide was updated in February 2013 and is available from the professional bodies via their websites.  RPS & RSC require membership to download the latest guide.  The SoB still has the previous version from 2010 available on their website.  Although now out of date, the 2010 version still has the same 11 sections and will be able to give you an idea as to what  is expected.

Update:  The RSC website has all of the 2013 documents freely available here

The majority of the commerically available training courses will cover each section as a stand-alone training programme.  I'll cover the range of training providers on a future post